<h2>Name</h2>
<p>
The Sarah derives its name from the very first word <em>wan Najm</em>. This
title also does not relate to the subject matter, but is a name given
to the Surah as a symbol.
</p>
<h2>Period of Revelation</h2>
<p>
According to a Tradition related by Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Da'ud and
Nasai, on the authority of Hadrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud, the first Surah
in which a versa requiring the performance of a <em>sajdah</em> (prostration)
as sent down, is Surah An-Najm. The parts of this <em>Hadith</em> which have
been reported by Aswad bin Yazid, Abu Ishaq and Zubair bin Mu'awiyah
from Hadrat Ibn Mas'ud, indicate that this is the first Surah of the
Qur'an, which the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) had publicly recited before an assembly of the Quraish (and
according to Ibn Marduyah, in the Ka'bah) in which both the believers
and the disbelievers were present. At the end, when he recited the
verse requiring the performance of a <em>sajdah</em> and fell down in
prostration, the whole assembly also fall down in prostration with him,
and even those chiefs of the polytheists who were in the forefront of
the opposition to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) could not resist falling down in prostration. Ibn Mas'ud
(may Allah be pleased with him) says that he saw only one man, Umayyah
bin Khalaf, from among the disbelievers, who did not fall down in
prostration but took a little dust and rubbing it on his forehead said
that that was enough for him. Later, as Ibn Mas'ud relates, he saw
this man being killed in the state of disbelief. 
</p>
<p>
Another eye witness
of this incident is Hadrat Muttalib bin Abi Wada'ah, who had not yet
become a Muslim. Nasai and Musnad Ahmad contain his own words to the
effect: "When the Holy Prophet recited the Surah An-Najm and performed
the <em>sajdah</em> and the whole assembly fell down in prostration along with
him, I did not perform the <em>sajdah</em>. Now to compensate for the same
whenever I recite this Surah I make sure never to abandon its
performance." 
</p>
<p>
Ibn Sad says that before this, in the Rajab of the 5th
year of Prophethood, a small group of the Companions had emigrated to
Abyssinia. Then, when in the Ramadan of the same year this incident
took place the news spread that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) had recited Surah An-Najm publicly in the
assembly of the Quraish and the whole assembly, including the believers
as well as the disbelievers, had fallen down in prostration with him.
When the emigrants to Abyssinia heard this news they formed the
impression that the disbelievers of Makkah had become Muslims.
Thereupon, some of them returned to Makkah in the Shawwal of the 5th
year of Prophethood, only to learn that the news was wrong and the
conflict between Islam and disbelief was raging as furiously as before.
Consequently, the second emigration to Abyssinia took place, in which
many more people left Makkah. 
</p>
<p>
Thus, it becomes almost certain that
this Surah was revealed in the Ramadan of 5th year of Prophethood.
</p>
<h2>Historical Background</h2>
<p>
The details of the period of revelation as given above point to the
conditions in which this Surah was revealed. During the first five
years of his appointment as a Prophet, the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) had been extending invitation to
Allah's Religion by presenting the Divine Revelations before the
people only in private and restricted meetings and assemblies. During
this whole period he could never have a chance to recite the Quran
before a common gathering openly, mainly because of the strong
opposition and resistance from the disbelievers. They were well aware
of how magnetic and captivating was the Holy Prophet's personality and
his way of preaching and how impressive were the Revelations of the
Qur'an. Therefore, they tried their best to avoid hearing it them-
selves and to stop others also from hearing it and to suppress his
invitation by false propaganda by spreading every kind of suspicion
against him. For this object, on the one hand, they were telling the
people that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had
gone astray and was now bent upon misleading others as well; on the
other hand, they would raise on uproar whenever he tried to present
the Qur'an before the people so that no one could know what it was for
which he was being branded as a misled and misguided person. 
</p>
<p>
Such were
the conditions when the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) suddenly stood up one day to make a speech in the sacred precincts of the Ka'bah, where a large number of the Quraish had gathered
together. Allah at that time made him deliver this discourse, which we
have now in the form of the Surah An-Najm with us. Such was the
intensity of the impression that when the Holy Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) started reciting it the opponents were
so completely overwhelmed that they could not think of raising any
disorder, and when at the conclusion he fell down in prostration, they
too fell down in prostration along with him. Later they felt great
remorse at the weakness they had involuntarily shown. The people also
started taunting them to the effect that whereas they had been
forbidding others to listen to the Qur'an, that day not only had they
themselves listened to it, with complete absorption but had even
fallen down in prostration along with Muhammad (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him). At last, they had to invent a story in order to
get rid of the people's taunt and ridicule. They said "After he had
recited <em>afara'ait-ul Lata wal Uzza wa Manat ath-thalitha-al ukhra</em>, we
heard from Muhammad the words: <em>tilk al-gharaniqa- tal-'ula, wa anna
shafa'at-u-hunna latarja</em>: 'They are exalted goddesses: indeed, their
intercession may be expected.' From this we understood that Muhammad
had returned to our faith." As a matter of fact, only a mad person
could think that in the context of this Surah the sentences they
claimed to have heard could have any place and relevance.(For details,
please see E. N.'s 96 to 301 of Surah Al Hajj).
</p>
<h2>Subject Matter and Topics</h2>
<p>
The theme of the discourse is to warn the disbelievers of Makkah about
the error of the attitude that they had adopted towards the Qur'an and
the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). 
</p>
<p>
The
discourse starts in a way as if to say: "Muhammad is neither deluded
nor gone astray, as you are telling others in your propaganda against
him, nor has he fabricated this teaching of Islam and its message, as
you seem to think he has. In fact, whatever he is presenting is
nothing but Revelation which is sent down to him. The verities that be
presents before you, are not the product of his own surmise and
speculation but realities of which he himself is an eye witness. He
has himself seen the Angel through whom this knowledge is conveyed to
him. He has been directly made to observe the great Signs of his Lord:
whatever he says is not what he has himself thought out but what he
has seen with his own eyes. Therefore, your disputing and wrangling
with him is just like the disputing and wrangling of a blind man with
a man of sight over a thing which the blind man cannot see but he can
see." 
</p>
<p>
After this, three things have been presented in their successive
order: 
</p>
<p>
First, the listeners have been made to understand that: "The
religion that you are following is based on mere conjecture and
invented ideas. You have set up a few goddesses like Lat and Manat and
Uzza as your deities, whereas they have no share whatever in divinity.
You regard the angels as the daughters of Allah, whereas you regard a
daughter as disgraceful for your own selves. You think that these
deities of fours can influence Allah in your favor, whereas the fact
is that all the angels together, who are stationed closest to Allah,
cannot influence Him even in their own favor. None of such beliefs
that you have adopted, is based on knowledge and reason, but are
wishes and desires for the sake of which you have taken some whims as
realities. This is a grave error. The right and true religion is that
which is in conformity to the reality, and the reality is never
subject to thee people's wishes and desires so that whatever they may
regard as a reality and truth should become the reality and truth.
Speculation and conjecture cannot help to determine as to what is
according to the truth and what is not; it is knowledge. When that
knowledge is presented before you, you turn away from it, and brand
the one who tells you the truth as misguided. The actual cause of your
being involved in this error is that you are heedless of the Hereafter.
Only this world is your goal. Therefore, you have neither any desire
for the knowledge of reality, nor you bother to see 'whether the
beliefs you hold are according to the truth or not. 
</p>
<p>
Secondly, the
people have been told that: Allah is the caster and Sovereign of the
entire Universe. The righteous is he who follows His way, and the
misguided he who has turned away from His way. The error of the
misguided and the righteousness of the righteous are not hidden from
Him. He knows whatever everyone is doing: He will requite the evil
with evil and the good with good. The final judgment will not depend
on what you consider yourself to be, and on tall claims you make of
your purity and chastity but on whether you are pious or impious,
righteous or unrighteous, in the sight of God. If you refrain from
major sins, He in His mercy will overlook your minor errors.'' .
</p>
<p>
Thirdly, a few basic principles of the true Religion which had been
presented hundreds of years before the revelation of the Qur'an in the
Books of the Prophets Abraham and Moses have been reiterated so that
the people did not remain involved in the misunderstanding that the
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had
brought some new and novel religion, but they should know that these
are the fundamental truths which the former Prophets of Allah have
always been presenting in their respective ages. Besides, the same
Books have been quoted to confirm the historical facts that the
destruction of the 'Ad and the Thamud and of the people of the
Prophets Noah and Lot was not the result of accidental calamities, but
Allah has destroyed them in consequence of the same wickedness and
rebellion from which the disbelievers of Makkah were not inclined to
refrain and desist in any case. 
</p>
<p>
After presenting these themes and
discourses the Surah has been concluded, thus: "The Hour of Judgment
has approached near at hand, which no one can avert. Before the
occurrence of that Hour you are being warned through Muhammad (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the Quran in the like manner
as the former people had been warned before. Now, is it this warning
that you find novel and strange? Which you mock and ridicule? Which
you turn away from and cause disorder so that no one else also is able
to hear what it is ? Don't you feel like weeping at your folly and
ignorance? Abandon this attitude and behavior, bow down to Allah and
serve Him alone!" 
</p>
<p>
This was that impressive conclusion hearing which
even the most hardened deniers of the Truth were completely
overwhelmed, and when after reciting these verses of Divine Word the
Holy Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
fell down in prostration, they too could not help falling down in
prostration along with him.
</p>

